How Google Drive just ate SkyDrive’s lunch

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Today’s debut of Google Drive is case-in-point why you never show your hand first. Yesterday Microsoft detailed plans for SkyDrive, aimed at giving Redmond a leg up in the competitive cloud storage space. Today’s Google Drive announcement blows SkyDrive out of the water.

Even though Google Drive offers two less gigabytes of space (5GB versus 7GB for SkyDrive), the tie-ins with other Google services are the difference. For example, Google takes Google Docs and incorporates it into Google Drive. Like the standalone product, users are able to collaborate on content, which can then be commented on by anyone who its shared with.

Google Drive also offers drag-and-drop integration for both the Windows and OS X, and mobile access through individual apps for iOS (once the app is available) and Android, just like SkyDrive. Fair enough — but where Drive really shines is in search.

Google makes everything that you upload into Drive searchable. The content of scanned documents is searchable through Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, and the company says image recognition technology will do the same for your images. That last part may be a little too much for some, but it is still more than Microsoft offers.

The only place Microsoft bests Google Drive is on extra storage. An extra 20GB of space (27GB total) on SkyDrive costs $10 yearly, with Google that will set you back about $30, billed $2.49 monthly. 100GB of space on Google Drive is $4.99 monthly or about $60 per year, with SkyDrive 100GB extra runs $50 per year.

Not to be outdone, Google offers additional capacity upgrades of 200GB to 16TB, ranging in price from $9.99 to $799.99 per month. That’s a lot more space than most of us will ever need, but the option is there.

Bottom line? Google Drive just ate SkyDrive’s lunch. Why did Microsoft let this happen in the first place, though? The company panicked we’re told.

Sources close to Microsoft tell ExtremeTech that the SkyDrive update was originally intended to launch next Monday (April 30th), but a decision was made to move the launch up one week based on the Drive rumors. There was a desire to get out first inside the company, it seems, although I am not sure they expected Google to launch the very next day.

Microsoft now finds itself in a predicament. Only a day old, the new SkyDrive already looks dated and nothing more than your average cloud storage service. On the other hand, Google comes out offering a set of compelling features above and beyond storage. Could Microsoft more tightly wound Bing into SkyDrive? It certainly could have. Microsoft does offer web versions of its Office platform to SkyDrive users, but they don’t seem as fleshed out and full-featured as Google Docs.

I have never been a fan of kneejerk reactions to the market as it leads to poor business decisions, which may have been the case here. Microsoft may have been best leaving to its original April 30 launch date to one-up Google rather than have its announcement overshadowed by its rival. Google wins again, and Microsoft is left scrambling to compete.

The thing you quoted, only says your files are yours, but we also have a license to use them.

Anonymous

Uhm. Don’t forget Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote in SkyDrive. Don’t forget that SkyDrive is available for iOS, Android (unofficial, but three apps) and WP7.

With SkyDrive I can make any document on my PC, whatever the disk it’s on available through skydrive.com. Very handy when you forgot to move that one file to your laptop from your desktop. Just log in and fetch it. I have 25GB free space at Microsoft, and 6TB on my file server also available through skydrive.com.

Yes. Curiously Microsoft did not make a big deal of it in its announcement. I’m sure if they announced after Google Drive, it’s pretty likely web-based Office would have played a much bigger part, don’t you think?

Anonymous

Well, it’s not new. I’ve had it on my SkyDrive for at least months. Just the media hasnt managed to catch it yet. Only new thing with SkyDrive is actually 7GB storage down from 25 (which can ble claimed for free) and desktop app.

John Bales

Same here…have already had Office Docs on my Skydrive for the month or so I’ve been signed up and using it. I’ve been surprised there hasn’t been a lot of talk about this feature in the tech-oriented blogs and online magazines, anywhere tech writers ply their trade!

Besides I have been using Live Mesh folder sync for almost 4.5 years (it had other names before) and I always had 5G of space.

I almost put away my USB thumbdrive because my PC at university is always at sync with my PC at home. I can even access my Uni PC with remote desktop (even though it has invalid IP and is behind tens of firewalls).

Anonymous

I think Ed Oswald is the only person who has “compared” the two services and came to the conclusion that Google Drive is the better choice.

The office tools built into SkyDrive are far superiour to the Google equivalents, they integrate with the desktop suite and can be used for colaboration. The sharing permissions are well thought out and you can even share straight to Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Google offers less, charges more and if you’re an existing SkyDrive user you can opt-in to keep the 25GB.

The single Google advantage might be OCR on scanned documents… but I get that if I use OneNote.

Exactly :) I was not believing what I saw. Besides it seems he was not aware Skydrive and Mesh have been there for YEARSSSS.

m0r1arty

Zoho.

Anonymous

Whatever the case no one has heard of or cares about SkyDrive.

Everyone uses Gmail, and if they use Gmail, you can bet they’ll be using GDrive.

Anonymous

Gmail has fewer users than Hotmail.

Anonymous

Gmail has fewer users than Hotmail.

Anonymous

I’m not sure I see now they’re eating SkyDrive’s lunch. It seems to me that MS has more storage and has a lot better intergration. If the files are already on the computer (or synced to it) then MS’s file system will automatically search it as well anyway (not OCR, but who actually needs that.) The additional platform support and integration features (like with Office, etc.) of SkyDrive make it way more powerful and relavant than Google Drive to me. And Google Drive can’t even sync to the iPad (yet!)

Anonymous

LOL, Skydrive eats Google Drive might be a more appropriate title. I’m sorry but the last sentence is absolutely delusional. Micrsoft’s Skydrive has been in use for years offering as much (and more) storage than Google starts offering now. With better pricing and Office compatibility Skydrive smokes Google’s offering.

There are several Android apps. Not official, but linked to on Skydrives apps page.

John

Oh. Thanks..

Anonymous

Oh, I don’t know about that. I just got a free upgrade to 25GB of storage for Skydrive. I believe every existing customer received the same thing.
That totally blows out of the water any extras Google Drive or Drop Box can offer me.

Anonymous

Yep. We did. As a man with multiple e-mail accounts I now have 75GB at SkyDrive.

Don’t forget the ability to make ANY file on your computer available through SkyDrive either. 75GB SkyDrive + 6TB file server.

Honestly, I don’t see how anyone can compete right now with SkyDrive.

Anonymous

Looks like Ed Oswald is on an anti-MS binge. He just loves spouting FUD. Ed next time make sure you do your research before typing nonsense.

Anonymous

slanted analysis if I ever saw one. I’m going with skydrive. More storage, far less privacy concerns, and the ability to access any file on my computer if I so chose to enable that feature. But mostly, it’s the privacy concerns. Whatever you upload to google, it’s owned by them, much like facebook. At least with skydrive, you still own your files.

It’s a very, very large omission for you to not mention these privacy concerns in your article. Who edits this website anyways?

Christopher Boyer

wrong. do your homework. “
Some of our Services allow you to submit content. You retain ownership of any intellectual property rights that you hold in that content. In short, what belongs to you stays yours.”

Anonymous

you conveniently left out the next paragraph. you may retain rights, but it’s no longer private. maybe I shouldn’t have said “owned”, but if they have the right to distribute it and/or modify it, or use it in promotions, does it really seem like you’re the only one that owns that information now?:
When you upload or otherwise submit content to our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content.”

Anonymous

you conveniently left out the next paragraph. you may retain rights, but it’s no longer private. maybe I shouldn’t have said “owned”, but if they have the right to distribute it and/or modify it, or use it in promotions, does it really seem like you’re the only one that owns that information now?:
When you upload or otherwise submit content to our Services, you give Google (and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content.”

What do you mean ate Skydrive’s lunch? because it doesn’t work with Google Docs? Office web apps can easily edit files on Skydrive, does so without breaking the documents, and has been available for quite some time. Google docs will break and reduce Office documents. Skydrive offers more space and integrates beautifully with Windows 8 and Windows Phone, not to mention the apps coming for iOS, OS X, Windows 7 and Vista (and also the current Android apps).

Anonymous

this is the most delusional and click baiting article ever. thank god I block ads, I would be sad knowing I’m funding this type of “reporting”.

I don’t know DropBox seems pretty firmly entrenched so far and I find it the most useful because of all the apps that can integrate into it seamlessly. Slydrive I also used exclusively for OneNote because OneNote was awesome for taking notes in class and I liked how it integrated through office…Google Drive has…Google Docs…yay. I guess the one perk for Google Drive is I already have a google account so now I have yet another thing I can use with them I guess…but I will probably stick with DropBox for now and Skydrive as I just got a Windows Phone so its a nice supplement.

it’s too bad skydrive went from 25 gigs to 7 gigs.
(btw, i was able to reclaim my 25 gigs of skydrive space for free!)
i’m going to stick with dropbox, mainly.

google drive? hells no!
google is evil!!!

from zdnet:
“A quick analysis of Google’s terms of service shows how the search
company owns the files you upload the minute they are submitted, and can
in effect do anything it wants to your files — and that’s final.”

Is the article for real?
Ed Oswald is a joke.He has no clue about Skydrive service these days.
His judgement blinded by his hate toward Microsoft.
I am no fan of tech writer who lazy doing his homework and so bias that he
can’t hide his prejudice in writing about tech.

Skydrive gave me a free upgrade of 25GB. and i have tried and uninstalled google drive as other then keeping the files there’s nothing more i can do there. skydirve gives me a full office web app to edit my documents online just like my computer and save them in a format that meets all standards. i have tried editing docs on google and when i save them in word they are all messed up. so i dont think you know what you are talking about. on my computer skydirve just kicked the google drive to the recycle bin.

Anonymous

SkyDrive has existed for ages, and I get 25 GB for free. It’s good that Google have joined this market, but IMO GDrive doesn’t beat SkyDrive.

John Bales

I just don’t trust Google with my personal information and files. It’s bad enough that within a few hours of shopping for something online that my webpages are covered with ads for the item(s) I was just searching for. With Google there is no such thing as a personal search, or personal information. I’ll use Skydrive or a competitor but will not be trusting my personal files to them. Oh, and by the way, I have no use for Google Docs so that’s definitely not a deal changer for me!

You know this bone head article left out a key factor – SkyDrive also gives you 25 GIg of non-document storage. So I get 25 Gig plus 7 that’s 32 at least that is what I received for free yesterday. But is also integrates with Office seemlessly the iPhone/iPad and since Android is a freaking mess who knows which “flavor” will synch. And there is an Android App coming. Sorry Google is still a day late and few dollars short – as usual. I get online-offline capability with Office which GoogleDocs cannot hold a candle too yet. This to me looks like Google+ all over

Looks like despite the authors biased point of view. If you can integrate with Windows and Mac you have pretty much 95%+ of the entire market worth hitting sewn up…

jcfan1979

One of the most ignorant articles written in recent memory. Google’s solution pales in comparison and is nowhere near as integrated into the Windows ecosystem as it stands and will fall further behind with Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8.

Anonymous

Sorry Ed… This bothers me…

(from Google Drive’s TOS)

“When you upload or otherwise submit content to our Services, you give Google
(and those we work with) a worldwide license to use, host, store, reproduce,
modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations,
adaptations or other changes we make so that your content works better with our
Services), communicate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and
display and distribute such content.”

Michael Garrett

Found my new combo. I already have a SpiderOak account because they are super serious about security (but if you forget your password, NO ONE can recover your data), but I think I need something else with better office integration and I LOVE ONENOTE! Made our IT guy purchase Office 2010 just so I can have a copy.

Bad article!! Poor knowledge of what you’re writing about. The post is based on rumours and perception. Analyze the facts to start with.

Ozgur Ozdil

Skydrive is much much better than google drive, this article sucks.

Also long time hotmail users get 25GB for free

David Schwartz

I’ve got 25GB with Skydrive. They recently offered the free upgrade. I’ve been using Skydrive since its inception and definitely like it, though I see plenty of room for better integration. A paltry 5GB from Google is not worth the switch.

Anonymous

“Only a day old, the new SkyDrive already looks dated and nothing more than your average cloud storage service.”

All Microsoft did was add some tweaks and release a desktop app. Google Drive is basically SkyDrive with less storage, worse Document Editors, no NoteTaking component (OneNote Web App/Mobile App), worse mobile integration (WP7), worse Mobile Apps (SkyDrive app for WP7/iOS), a worse Mobile Website, Worse File Access (abiity to have all your documents available to all your skydrive clients from your desktop PC as long as it’s powered on and connected to the internet – uses 2 factor authentication) and no Remote PC access through the browser (Live Mesh). Also not as integrated into desktop applications (i.e. Windows Live Essentials).

I deleted my Google account months ago. This doesn’t even come close to making me consider using their services again, not that I ever really used them to begin with… for the most part.

Really expected something a bit more professional when I read this. Lol. I’m embarassed for whoever wrote this article. “Sources close to Microsoft…” LMAO. Seriously, GTFO.

Anonymous

“Only a day old, the new SkyDrive already looks dated and nothing more than your average cloud storage service.”

All Microsoft did was add some tweaks and release a desktop app. Google Drive is basically SkyDrive with less storage, worse Document Editors, no NoteTaking component (OneNote Web App/Mobile App), worse mobile integration (WP7), worse Mobile Apps (SkyDrive app for WP7/iOS), a worse Mobile Website, Worse File Access (abiity to have all your documents available to all your skydrive clients from your desktop PC as long as it’s powered on and connected to the internet – uses 2 factor authentication) and no Remote PC access through the browser (Live Mesh). Also not as integrated into desktop applications (i.e. Windows Live Essentials).

I deleted my Google account months ago. This doesn’t even come close to making me consider using their services again, not that I ever really used them to begin with… for the most part.

Really expected something a bit more professional when I read this. Lol. I’m embarassed for whoever wrote this article. “Sources close to Microsoft…” LMAO. Seriously, GTFO.

Wasn’t expecting such a stupid title on ET, but anyway, TechSpot has done a much better job of comparing all the cloud services, which is much more ‘objective’. Anyway, personally I wouldn’t trust Google, since their business is ‘selling data’ not ‘solutions’ in general.

MrEthiopian

Like many stories on the web, the comments are better then the story.

Ed, you got schooled, that will learn you to write a one-sided fluff piece.

satyendra karn

SkyDrive clearly is better here,whether take storage, integration or office into account.
Only advantage which google has is OCR. Anyway SkyDrive will enhance further when windows 8 fully converges pc, tablet or phone.
Title of the article is totally inappropriate.

This author is a tool. Fleshed out ? Google Docs is a joke. And SD gave me free 25GB on both my accts. as I have been a customer since 2008.

Karl Krist

I read the comments, and many of them say the same thing…but it bears repeating:

Google Drive didn’t eat SkyDrive’s lunch. On the contrary, SkyDrive is the better service. Extremetech should research their articles a little better.

Comparing the two is fine. Some people might even prefer Google Drive, but this headline (and the rest of the article) is way too skewed in the wrong direction.

Tim_M58

Everything was going great with my “googledrive” … and then it took over files that it was not instructed to do. At one point I caught it trying to “syncing 88,400 files” … I noticed that a growing number of my folders were sprouting the the little blue head and shoulders icon … the worst part is that when I deleted those folders listed INSIDE my local GOOGLE DRIVE folder … the were deleted from my “DOCUMENTS FOLDER” as well. The process took hours to complete … and the recycle bin was not able to hold all files … so now, as a teacher whose classroom folders are GONE from my local drive, AND from my local GOOGLEDRIVE folder AND from the cloud … I’m SCREWED … and since GOOGLE is a CLOUD … there seems to be no one to tell my story to besides you guys.astronut58@live.com

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